Son of Zeus and Leto, and twin brother of Artemis, Apollo was born on the island of Delos. His mother, fearing the revenge of Zeus’s wife, Hera, had chosen the barren island of Delos as the safest refuge she could find.

It is said that upon tasting ambrosia for the first time, he was immediately transformed from a baby into a man. Apollo was then given his bow, made by the master craftsman of Olympus Mount, Hephaestus.

He is described as the god of the arts, the bow and arrow, healing, and plagues, who threatened or protected from the heights of the heaven, being identified with the light of truth. He was feared by the other gods, and only his father and mother could restrain him.

He is the god of sudden death, plagues and diseases, but also the god of healing and protection against evil forces. He is also the god of beauty, perfection, harmony, balance, and reason, the initiator of young people into the adult world, connected to nature, herbs, and flocks, and the protector of shepherds, sailors, and archers.